Let the drum rolls and the fanfares commence. Let the guests be invited to a glamorous venue. Let there be seriousness and fun in equal measure. I speak not, of course, of last week's royal nuptials, but for something almost as long-awaited, as appropriate for our times, and as doubtful in its significance - as either pivotal moment or frivolous charade: the first ever pop-up social enterprise think-tank, POPse!
For one week only (9-13 May), a collaborative of social enterprise thinkers, practitioners, and social policy experts [will be taking over a retail unit and providing (we hope) a burst of critical energy, robust analysis and new ideas. These volunteers will be aiming to scrutinise social enterprise policy and practice, make constructive contributions to existing debates, and spark new ones. As well as having fun while we're doing it.
The idea originated when some of the collaborators had a conversation in the pub about the capacity, experience, and know-how that would be underused from April 2011 (whether by choice or otherwise), and a belief that this thinking and expertise could be put to productive and creative use. Conversations in pubs can be dangerous things: the idea is on the verge of becoming reality, and the belief will be tested.
With the help of Meanwhile Space CIC, we now have a venue for our thinking: a former Subway franchise and pizza take-away outlet in Exmouth Market in London. Insert jokes here about poor delivery, insubstantial content and low quality. Whether the policy recommendations, think pieces and reports defy that expectation, we will see. And it will also depend on the thinking of those who drop in (virtually or in reality) to contribute, and critique our ideas.
Like all pop-ups, POPse! aims to put unused assets back into economic use, and have a regenerative effect on its community. In this case, alongside the physical space in the market, some of the assets are human and the social enterprise community will hopefully feel some beneficial impact. Already, we've been having conversations with key audiences (policymakers, intermediaries, practitioners) to prepare the ground for our work.
One of the most interesting things about this experimental project is that all those taking part are free from the constraints of established organisations, so we should all be unfettered to say both the more difficult, challenging things and the crazy, out-there possible things that might not normally be considered. Whether that is in the field of social investment, social enterprise in the NHS, the 'right-to-manage', small community vs. Big Society, social impact measurement or about what should go on the "Now That's What I Call Social Enterprise" playlist, everything is up for grabs. And the remit is to be open, collaborative, creative, and constructive.
For those who want to get involved, there will be a drop-in round-up at the end of each day from 5.30-6.30pm: book in online via the What's On section of the website. And invites will be going out from those leading particular work areas, asking for viewpoints, information, thoughts and direct input. If you want to watch what emerges from a safe distance, then follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook , or check out regular updates on the main site. And we'll welcome thoughts and comments from all angles as we go.
Of course, there will be those who think we risk disappearing up our own London-based fundament, followed swiftly by a series of unread policy papers. Or those that suspect this has the potential to be career suicide. Or still more who think it's a waste of time and energy. That's probably our biggest challenge: to ensure that, like the best pop-ups, it's a fun, dynamic, provocative and productive week, and also one that has real impact and leaves a tangible legacy. Join us to help make that happen.
Nick Temple is one of the POPse! collective collaborative?. Find out more about what's happening during the week at www.popse.org.uk
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